Welcome

The Red Circle is Sherlock's home in Washington DC. Now in our eighth decade, we continue to celebrate his immortality and enjoy each other's company. All are welcome to join us and share our interest in all things Sherlockian and Doylean.

Next Meeting

Saturday, June 22, 2024
Location to be announced

Drinks at noon -- Lunch at 1:00
Special Guest: Burt Wolder

Arthur Conan Doyle: Adventurous Life, Enduring Memories

Archives

Inner Circle Meeting Notes Wrinting and Videos Quezzes and Puzzles

 


 
Burt Wolder to examine Conan Doyle's "Adventurous Life" at June Red Circle luncheon   The Red Circle is proud to welcome Burt Wolder, BSI, to our June 22 luncheon meeting. Burt's special presentation is entitled "Arthur Conan Doyle: Adventurous Life, Enduring Memories." In 1929, Sir Arthur survived a heart attack, but but it left him weakened. Shortly before his death the next year, he looked back upon his life and drew a cartoon to represent it. He depicted himself as "The Old Horse," cared for by three vets. The old horse has walked a long path, and pulls a wagon loaded with memories. Burt will unpack the boxes on the wagon, and share with us the richness of Conan Doyle's life--a life well lived. Burt Wolder  (“Third Pillar from the Left” in the Baker Street Irregulars) is an editor and co-host of "I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere," the first podcast for Sherlock Holmes devotees, and "Trifles," a weekly podcast focused on the Canon. In 2020 he helped raise funds for a grave marker in memory of Frederic Dorr Steele and now serves on the board of Frederic Dorr Steele Memorial, Inc., a non-profit organization that promotes public awareness of Steele’s life and work, supports related exhibits and collections, and maintains the marker on the artist’s grave in Menands, New York. The location and cost for the luncheon will be posted shortly. Save the date and watch this space.
 
Video now available of Curtis Armstrong's presentation of "The "B" List"  The Red Circle's March 16 meeting featured a delightful presentation by the BSI's "actor and a rare one," aka Curtis Armstrong. Curtis guided us on a tour of the Canon's lesser villains, punctuated by irony, smiles and guffaws. Thanks to Matt Hall, it was all recorded, and you can watch it just by clicking the screen at the right.
And you can read Carla Coupe's Meeting Notes here
 
Crimes and their Times  Did The Red Circle's namesake adventure take place in 1885 or in 1903? Or sometime in between? There's no subject in the world of Sherlock Holmes that generates more spirited debate than the chronology of the Canon. Timeline detectives have spent decades mining the fine details of each story for clues to their dates, yet consensus has proven chronically elusive. Brad Keefauver presides over the Sherlockian Chronologist Guild, an on-line society that publishes a monthly journal, Timeline. Two articles in the June 2022 issue examine "The Red Circle," where you can see just how complicated Sherlockian chronology can be. You're invited to read the issue for yourself here. And if you'd like to receive the journal regularly, just email Brad here3/2/24 AR
 
Can it possibly be 40 years?  It seems like yesterday that Jeremy Brett burst onto our TV screens as a Sherlock Holmes for the ages. . .a fine actor appearing in scripts that are notoriously faithful to the Canon. May 25 marked the date for a one-day 40th anniversary celebration of Brett's turn in Granada's The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Dubbed Brettcon, it happened in Guildford, Surry, and is the brainchild of Gus and Luke Holwerda, proprietors of the 40+ episode podcast called--what else?--Sherlock Podcast. Whether or not you listen to the podcasts, and whether or not you made it across the pond for the doings in May, you'll want to spend two minutes with the lovely trailer Gus and Luke have put together for the event. Watch it here. 2/27/24 AR
 

The Thing’s a Play!  What really happened when Holmes returned from The Great Hiatus and greeted Mrs. Hudson at 221B? Sherlockian Ray Betzner has penned a seven minute solution to that question in the form of a suitably irreverant drama, performed at the 2024 William Gillette Luncheon in New York. Carrying on Gillette’s pioneering work as Sherlock Holmes was Curtis Armstrong, himself a celebrated actor (Revenge of the Nerds, Risky Business). Opposite Curtis as Mrs. Hudson was Dr. Ashley Polasek, possibly the only Sherlockian who holds a Ph.D. in Holmes adaptations. Rounding out the cast in the role of the dummy (OK, the bust) was multi-award-winning playwright Ken Ludwig, who proved conclusively that there really are such things as small roles. Thanks to the recording made by the Red Circle’s Matt Hall, and permission to use the “intellectual” property from all involved, you’re invited to enjoy Mrs. Hudson and the Return of Sherlock Holmes here. Have fun! 1/31/24 AR

 
Red Circle Pins Available  The pin has been proudly worn all over the Sherlockian world, from Rockville to the Reichenbach, so Red Circle members (which includes everyone who's ever been to a meeting) will treasure having their own. The price is $14.95 each, which includes shipping anywhere. Send an email to Tom Fahres to order.
 
Scuttlebutt: One Fixed Point in a Changing Age  Our own Peter E. Blau's monthly Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press has endured for more than 50 years, and has a permanent home right here on our website. It's the most remarkable collection of Sherlockian news and notes anywhere, and your webmaster recommends a monthly visit. The very latest edition is available now, as are past numbers. It's just a click away--use the "Scuttlebutt" button at the top of the page.
 
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  • For earlier, archived items from The Inner Circle, click here.